If you think that headline is stupid, and it is, wait until you hear the story of 14-year-old Pavel Pliskov who was banned from participating in the championship game of the Scottish Under-14 Cup because he had the audacity to don the costume of Sam the Bear, the beloved mascot of the Fife Flyers hockey club, and, well, that’s about it.

But that was enough for officials from the Scottish Ice Hockey Association, and they dropped the hammer on Pliskov with their ruling regarding his inclusion in the final game. And if that wasn’t penalty enough, the Lithuanian born teen wasn’t allowed to join his mates on the ice for the medal presentation after his Dundee team won the final game 6-0.

From the Scottish Courier…

Pavel Pliskov (14), a pupil at Menzieshill High who came to the city with his family from Lithuania, was celebrating with his Dundee Stars team-mates after scoring three goals and setting up a fourth in the 6-1 semi-final victory over Kilmarnock Storm.

The fun spilled over to a changing room where, hanging on a hook, was the costume of Sam the Bear, the mascot of Fife Flyers ice hockey team.

Other Dundee players passed it round and played with it and Pavel, in high spirits, put it on. He larked around the venue and play-acted to the amusement of other players, coaches and the public.

Officials of the Scottish Ice Hockey Association, though, did not find it funny and told him that because of his behaviour he couldn’t play in the final against Flyers.

Pavel was distraught at the decision but became devastated when, after the Dundee team recorded a resounding 6-0 win, he was stopped from joining his team-mates on the ice to collect the medals.

Overreact much, Scottish Ice Hockey Association? Who knew the Scots held moldy, stanky, sweat-stained mascot costumes in such high regard, so much so that they crush the dreams of a 14-year-old hockey player? Must be all that haggis and bagpipe music.

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